Vehicle-wheel



R. E. RATHBUN.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED APR.12, 1921 Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

INVENTOR. RE/PHTHBU/V 'IIIIHIIIII/ ATTORNEY HANSON! EJ-RAIHB'UN, or slow: CITY, Iowa.

OFFICEQZ'T' vEEI'CLE-WHEEL- Specification of Letterslatent.

Application filed April 12, 1921 Sean 1%;- some;

To all whom it concern. I v I Be it known that I, RANsoM' E. RA'rHBUN,

a'citizen of the United States, and a resident I, of Sioux City, in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle- VVheels, of which the following is a specification.

The wheel presented in my United States Patent No. 814729 March 13, 1906, suffers from the fact that the pressure of the road shocks is not well distributed throughout the springs of the wheel, which necessitates the springs being of heavier construction than would be required if the peripheral strains were absorbed by more of the springs.

The primary object of my present invention is to improve the general construction ofpthe device of my prior patent. A further object of the invention is the production of a resilient vehicle wheel, embodying certain characteristics and features of construction which increases the efficiency and resiliency to the maximum and reduces the weight to the minimum.

Furthermore, the invention contemplates an improved, resilient vehicle wheel having a minimum of parts, readily manufactured and available, and not readily susceptible to trouble. 7

With these and other objects in view, the invention, consisting of the construction and combination and novel arrangement of parts, will be clearly understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views, of which: 7

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheel constructed in accordance with my invention, parts thereof being cut away, and

Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring, now, to the illustrations, 3 is the felly of the wheel, interconnected with a suitable hub, 4, by any suitable means, as the spokes, 5.

The felly is encircled by and spaced from a suitable rim, preferably a channel rim, 6, in which is mounted a tire, 7, preferably of resilient material, as rubber. Disposed between the rim and felly and arranged at regular intervals are pairs of leaf springs, each including relatively long and short springs, 8 and 9, respectively. The center parade of the, said springs, 'sjand 9*,e a re,

secured togetherand to the inne u'phe'r" of the rim, preferably by screws, 10, whic pass through the said springs, and are threaded through the rim, 6,'the enas'ofithe screws being preferably recessed, as at 11, to enter the tire, 7, to prevent creeping of the latter on the rim. The end portions of the springs 9 are curved inwardl and freely engage the periphery of the fell as at 12. The end portions of the longer springs, 8, overlap the end portions of the corresponding springs of the adjacent pairs, as at 13. Between the said pairs of springs are interposed leaf springs, 14, the end portions of Pa'tented Sept: r9121.

which engage the inner periphery of the rim, 1

and the center portions thereofare secured to the overlapping portions of the springs, 8, by a suitable projecting member on the felly, as a screw or bolt, 15, the overlapping portions of the springs,,8, being longitudinally slotted, as at 16, to receive the bolt, 15, and permit relative longitudinal movement between the overlapping springs. On opposite sides of the felly are flat-sided guard rings, 18, suitably secured by bolts, 17, or otherwise, to the sides of the felly. The said guard rings freely engage the side of the rim, 6, to prevent entrance of foreign material into the space between the rim and felly and yet permit relative radial movement between the rim and felly, the rings being held in parallelism by means of bolts, 19, which inter-engage the rings at suitable intervals, and are encircled by spacing sleeves, 20, disposed between the rings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A vehicle wheel including a felly, a rim encircling and spacedfrom the felly, pairs of leaf springs arranged at intervals between the felly and rim, each pair including relatively long and short springs suitably secured at their centers to the rim, the end portions of the shorter spring being curved inwardly to engage the felly, and the end portions of the longer spring being curved inwardly and overlapped with the end portions of the corresponding springs of the adjacent pairs, leaf springs disposed between the pairs and having their end portions in engagement with the rim and their intermediate portions resting on the overlapped end portions of said long springs,

said overlapping end portions being slotted longitudinally, and members on the felly passing through the slots and said third springs. I

2. vehicle wheel including a felly, a

channel rim encircling and spaced from the V ,felly, a tire of resilient material in the rim,

pairs of leaf springs arranged at intervals between the felly and rim, each pairineluding relatively long and short springs, screws extending through the centers of the each overlapped with the end portions of the long springs of the adjacent pairs, leaf springs disposed between the pairs having their end portions in engagement with the rim, and their intermediate portions resting on the overlapped end portions of the long springs, said overlapping end portions being slotted longitudinally, and projecting members on the felly pasisng through the slots and said third springs.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 25 my hand this 7th day of April, 1921.

RANsoM E. RATHBUN. 

